Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise from either fandom. Most importantly, this fic is a translation of the fascinating Almas cruzadas by Sandy97 and is uploaded here with her permission; any edits to the material are only what is required to make the translation flow appropriately.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Crossed Souls
Chapter 5: The Pact
Elsa had been delirious with fever all night.
She had had confused dreams in which she was chased by clawed shadows that wanted to catch her to devour her and soulless eyes that watched her. She had run and ran between the snowy trees trying to escape, leaving behind a trail of blood in her wake. She turned her head several times, horrified at the sight of her own blood scorching the snow.
The queen screamed with anguish, without stopping to run. That blood flowed from deep inside her and she felt that if she stopped she would never be able to move again. For the first time since she was a child she felt cold, real cold. She was completely naked and helpless in that huge frozen forest that threatened her with a fetid stench of death. She had seen faceless dragons pouncing on her to tear her flesh and huge Vikings trying to force her. She had tried to pull away from them with all her might, but her magic didn't work and she was so tired that all she could do was run, keep running.
It was as if each and every one of those terrifying tales someone had once told her as a child had decided to pay her a visit that night. She tried to scream, to ask for help, but she was alone, as always. Then a wolf lunged at her, catching her wrists. She screamed until she was short of breath and after this the sweet face of her mother's ghost made her calm down. She didn't know where she came from or how she got there, but all those devils and monsters disappeared. In the distance she heard her voice sing an old lullaby to him. She remembered that beautiful melody perfectly, but didn't understand the language in which she sang. It must be because of the magical nature of his mother's ghost, who would be singing to her in the language of angels. That reassured her. Being able to warm up for the first time all night.
So, in this way, in that helpless forest of snow and blood, Elsa fell deeply asleep, curled up on that white cloak like a girl. A little girl trapped in the body of a woman.
A repetitive and grotesque noise stabbed at the door of the bridal room, causing Elsa to be ripped out of Morpheus's prison.
Frightened, she sat up and raised her hands quickly to her eyes, blinking several times until she was able to focus on the world. Despite the nightmares, the Snow Queen felt strangely rested and clear, and the traces of fever had completely disappeared. It took her a moment to react when she heard the noise of the door again.
At first she didn't notice Hiccup's absence, since she was used to the solitude of her bedroom and the silence in the morning. However, that noise had completely taken her out of her reverie and she couldn't help but make her heart race when she discovered that there was not even a trace of his makeshift bed by the fire. Rather, the blankets were carefully messed up at the foot of the bed, and the opposite side of the bed was ripped open, right where he was supposed to have actually slept.
Wherever he was, the Viking was certainly not a person who left everything to chance, but had thought carefully about everything so as not to raise suspicions. Evidently, despite being a Viking, he was smarter than Elsa had thought.
Air began to re-enter her battered body, still throbbing at the sudden awakening. Elsa knew that she had to appear normal, but she kept wondering where the hell the Viking had gone and why he hadn't woken her up.
"Majesties?" someone called at the door.
Elsa cleared her throat, adjusting the nightgown that was slightly open.
"Go ahead," she tried to say in her best tone, concealing the hoarseness.
"Are you decent?" The person on the other side asked politely.
Elsa was reassured to hear Miranda's warm voice.
"Yes, you can come in."
The door opened and a row of women led by Miranda and Anna entered through it. Elsa immediately recognized these women, as they were the same women who had helped her undress the night before.
"Your Highness," Miranda greeted her with respect, without going much beyond the door.
"Elsa!" Anna shouted, running to the bed to hug her sister.
"Hey, take it easy, I'm fine," Elsa asked to get out of her sister's intense grip.
"Oh Elsa," Anna continued. "I was very worried, the women said that last night they heard you scream. You're good? Has that demon done something to you? I wanted to come as soon as possible, but Miranda said you had to rest and…"
Elsa looked at her confused without understanding. Had she screamed?
"And she had to rest," interrupted Miranda, who also went to the bed and sat down next to Anna, putting her hand on Elsa's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever," she addressed the queen. "How are you feeling this morning? All good?"
Elsa was somewhat overwhelmed by her sister's words and having become the center of attention for all eyes in that room. Had she really screamed? When?
"Better," she replied. "In fact, I'm feeling pretty good."
She wasn't lying; for the first time since the incident she felt she had rested all night. There was no trace of fever or pain, as was customary, so she was glad to see some improvement at last, despite the usual discomfort and tightness of her half-healed wounds. Yet she still had the unpleasant feeling of having been tense all night, running away from monsters and shadows that somehow still disturbed her.
"I was afraid that last night I would have given you a fever," Mirada explained, with a motherly gaze. "With all that confusion I didn't leave you a herbal concoction."
"No, take it easy," Elsa lied. "I don't have a fever."
The woman nodded, not very convinced. And then she looked down at the bloodstained sheets.
"Was everything all right last night? Did you take what I gave you?""
Elsa didn't know what to say. She would have liked to tell Miranda and Anna the truth, but for some reason she couldn't, so she just nodded, with a certain modesty. Miranda returned the gesture.
"I'll give you something for the pain too…" she answered, lowering her tone, as if she didn't want the other women to hear her.
Elsa said nothing, since the judicious gaze of everyone in that room rested on her, but she was sorry that they really thought that Hiccup had hurt her.
"Now you have to get dressed, the councils have decided to meet again," Miranda explained, remaining thoughtful for a moment. "Where is your husband? He has not been seen in the palace; we thought he was still here with you."
Elsa didn't know what to say to her. She really had absolutely no idea where Hiccup was, or even when he had left.
"I heard him leave this morning, but I don't know where he went," she lied again.
Miranda nodded again, getting up from the bed and addressing the rest of the women. She must have said something to them in a low voice, because two of them disappeared through the door. Elsa watched the whole scene sharply, trying to hear what they were saying. Anna's soft hands on hers brought her out of her thoughts.
"Elsa, are you sure you're okay?" Anna asked concerned.
The queen's heart broke at the sight of her sister. She must tell the truth, at least to her. Although this didn't seem the most appropriate time.
"I will tell you everything," she assured her. "But calm down, I'm really fine."
"Your Majesty," one of the older women interrupted. "We have prepared a bucket of hot water for you to wash your blood and get dressed. It would be an honor for us to help you."
Elsa knew what that meant. Under all those beautiful words she had hidden a filthy and disgusting protocol to declare or not consummate the marriage. The queen swallowed and did what she did best: hide her emotions.
"Thank you very much, good ladies," she began, with a smile. "It is much appreciated that you have prepared a hot bath for me, it is just what I need. However, I would like to do it in the company of my sister and Miranda, if I may." Then she added, in a sweet tone totally foreign to her: "It makes me a little embarrassed."
The women half-grinned at the queen's words. Each and every one of them had known Anna since she was a child and knew her enthusiastic and sweet temperament perfectly. With Elsa, however, everything had been different, since they were prohibited contact with the girl. For this reason, once the incident of the coronation and the return of Elsa took place, they had begun to be at their service, but with some fear and suspicion, since they really didn't know their queen and had not yet learned to interpret the hidden tone in her words.
"We must hurry," Miranda added. "Anna, go with your sister to wash, I will go to advise the council to wait for the queen."
Elsa nodded grateful that she didn't have to explain further, although she didn't like the idea of being watched. She smiled and got out of bed with her sister's help. She was certainly much more agile than the night before.
The women were not very convinced of this, since they had orders to ensure that the marriage had been consummated and that both tribes had legally been bonded by blood ties. However, they decided not to insist. The blood on the sheets and Elsa's screams the night before seemed solid enough proof. Deep down, none of them wanted to be in the shoes of their queen. They still crossed themselves when they remembered the image of the girl's body the night before. It was a miracle that the Viking had not rejected her.
With this murmured thought, they changed the sheets and arranged the room for the bride and groom. After this, they returned to their chores, which were not few in the chaos that reigned in the castle.
Right in the next instance, Anna started helping Elsa undress. She measured the temperature of the water and thought it was freezing. Likewise, her sister wouldn't mind, but she found it terrible having to wash in cold water after imagining the night that would have happened.
"I'm going to ask them to heat the water," Anna suggested.
"I am not going to bathe."
Anna looked puzzled at Elsa, who started using her magic to create a long ice blue dress. Unlike how she used to wear it, this time it was totally opaque, to avoid showing her wounds. She also gathered her hair into a quick but elegant braid and created out of nowhere a navy blue and purple cane, with a refined finish on the ice flower grip.
"What are you doing?" Anna asked in surprise, not understanding. "You can't use your magic, you're still weak-"
"I feel much better, really," Elsa said, trying to reassure her. "Come on, we have no time to lose, we have to find Hiccup."
Anna understood nothing. On the one hand, she was glad to see Elsa again active and full of energy, but on the other hand, she didn't understand her attitude. The previous night she had been practically forced by a barbarian when she had not yet recovered from her injuries, in addition to possibly having had to deal with the fever. Anna had never believed her sister when she had assured Miranda that fevers had not visited her the night before. She knew her too well and knew when she was lying.
"Find Hiccup?" she asked, trying to understand. "Why do you want to see that barbarian now?"
Elsa had approached the small dying fireplace of that instance, where she stained her right hand with ash, slightly clouding the water in the basin where she was supposed to bathe.
"I need to meet you before the council meeting," she explained. "This time I'm not going to make stupid deals without knowing what we're dealing with."
Anna was still speechless as she looked her sister from side to side.
"Did you see him this morning?" Elsa asked, pulling Anna out of her reverie.
"The Viking…? No, I don't know… he was supposed to be with you… what time did he leave?"
Elsa frowned, trying to think.
"I don't know, I didn't hear him leave."
"But he's supposed to be sleeping next to you."
"Hiccup slept on the floor," she blurted out to her sister's surprise. "I don't think he's in the council room, Miranda said she thought she was with me… hopefully he still hasn't heard about the meeting."
"What?" Anna said blankly. "What do you mean he hasn't slept with you?"
"I'll explain everything, I promise, but now I need to talk to Hiccup."
Anna didn't understand anything, but decided to help her sister. After all, they were together in this chaos and the decision to call the dragonmaster had been Anna's own, so deep down she felt responsible.
"Okay, I'll help you," she said. "The maidens will continue in the room and behind this door there are several soldiers who are waiting for us to go out…" She trailed off in thought for a moment. "Window! There are balconies below us on the second floor."
Elsa nodded, heading to the window and opening it. They both had a look at the balconies on the lower floor. There was only one guard, who walked slowly from side to side.
"How do we do it?" Anna asked.
"I'll distract him and make a little ice slide," Elsa said, grabbing her sister's hand. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."
"We're in this together," Anna squeezed her hand. "Let me down first."
Elsa agreed. Without much thought, she created a small rock of ice that she threw toward one end of the long balcony. The guard responded immediately, lunging toward the noise. Elsa and Anna took advantage of the confusion to drop down the ice structure that Elsa created from the window to the roof, managing to access the balconies without much effort. Anna went first and helped Elsa down, since, even if she covered it up, she was still badly hurt. Once on the balconies, they hurried to the main entrance before the guard returned.
Luckily for both of them, they entered a practically empty room. There was only one woman and her daughter sleeping among the multitude of empty lounge chairs on the floor. This room had been enabled as a room for the last groups to enter the dome, so it was hopefully one of the least crowded. Mother and daughter didn't say anything when they saw them enter, they simply returned the smile to the queen when she put a finger on her lips to indicate that they didn't say anything.
As soon as they crossed the instance, they disappeared down the hallways.
"Where do you think he could be?" Anna asked her sister.
"Where would you go if you wanted to leave but couldn't?"
Anna and Elsa continued to wander the corridors, avoiding appearing in the enclave areas. Luckily for Elsa, her sister had spent so much time alone touring that castle that she not only knew it by heart, but also knew of hidden corridors that barely anyone else knew about.
"I think I know where he may be…" Anna deduced. "At least that's what I'd like to go if I was the 'dragon master'…"
"The dragons," the queen muttered.
It didn't take long for them to go down to the top floor of the castle, where the dungeons were. Elsa knew them well because she had been locked there briefly herself by Hans after he captured her from her ice palace. They were nowhere near a good place in the castle and just thinking that they lived somewhere with that awful place under their feet made her goose bumps.
Anna was undoubtedly right, since just down there they spotted the boy sitting on the ground, leaning against the ice bars of one of the cages, where his dragon was. For some strange reason, there was no guard on duty, making the place crowded with caged dragons inspired a certain fear in the queen, as if they could all escape at once to kill her for having locked them up.
The dragon was the first to notice its presence, as its growling surprised Hiccup, who turned his friend's gaze towards the sisters.
"Hey, quiet Toothless…" He tried to calm the dragon, who had taken a threatening stance.
Hiccup had his hands inside the bars, stroking the animal.
"I have already told you that she's not a witch…" he continued speaking to the animal as he stood up, making a metallic echo spread by resting his prosthesis on the stone floor. "What are you doing here?"
"The councils have reconvened," Elsa explained.
"That soon?" The Viking was surprised. "Well, what a short wedding morning, that's not typical of Vikings…"
Anna was surprised that the boy used that irony so close. Since that morning he no longer seemed as threatening as the night he arrived covered in blood and on the back of that monstrous animal. Nor did he seem angry, like at the wedding.
"We have to talk," said the queen, again looking cold and authoritative.
Hiccup sighed at the thought that the queen would again adopt that hostile attitude towards him. Deep down he was tired of all those protocols. It already felt like he had been trapped in that nightmare for years and missed the closeness and transparency of the Berk people and the Vikings in general. Not to mention dealing with women. Since he had arrived, he kept encountering behavior patterns that he didn't understand. For some reason, men and women had a very different social distance from the Vikings. Hiccup never had to be gallant or courteous to his friends, in fact, there was no gender distinction between riders, something that had been imposed on him since he had come to that kingdom, and he was getting tired of it.
"I know," he replied tiredly. "I have many questions and requests. We have to talk with the council."
"I know," Elsa said quickly.
Hiccup took one last look at his friend, stroking his head and whispering words that the princesses didn't understand. The dragon opened his eyes sadly when he realized that Hiccup was leaving and he bellowed under his breath as he licked the boy's hands. It was then that Elsa noticed that Hiccup's hands seemed burned. How had that been done overnight?
"I'll be back soon, I promise you," he said fondly to the animal before turning away from him and addressing the girls. "By the way, I'm Hiccup." He paused slightly, watching Anna closely. "I don't think we were properly introduced last night?"
Hiccup approached the girl slightly and raised his hand to his chest, bowing slightly.
"I am Anna de Arendelle, Elsa's sister."
"A pleasure," Hiccup replied with a sad smile.
Anna nodded as a sign of respect. It was the first time she had looked at the boy so closely and she was surprised to admit that he seemed very handsome. Also, despite the dark circles and his tired face, his gaze was warm and transparent, as if despite all the rudeness that covered him as a Viking he was only a child. Anna could not help but recognize herself in his gaze and then something in her wanted to make her believe that perhaps she had not been mistaken and the dragon master could really help them.
"Okay, how much time do we have?" the Viking asked the queen.
"They must have found out you're not there by now," Anna said quickly, addressing her sister. "I'll go on ahead and keep them busy."
Elsa nodded, watching her sister disappear running through the hallways of the dungeons.
"We have less than ten minutes," Elsa explained. "And that's not including if we run into anyone between here and the council room."
Hiccup nodded, walking after Elsa who had gestured for him to follow her, redoing the path she had taken with her sister. The Viking struggled to keep up with him and wondered where the wounded queen he had met the night before had been left.
"Okay, tell me what you saw in the forest the night you arrived; you told your father that you found dragon corpses?" Elsa asked, without looking at the boy, concentrating on her steps.
Hiccup had to make a first effort to return to a conversation that they never had, but that at the time was a high priority. In fact, he snorted inwardly, instead of locking him up and forcing him into marriage, they should have started by listening to his terrifying account of the forest.
"They were not dragons, it was a specific dragon," the Viking specified, following in his footsteps, "and not just any one, it was a night fury. Did you know that there were any dragons in your lands?"
"A night fury?" the queen asked without understanding. "Are they supposed to be a strange species or something? There are no dragons in these lands, and in fact if I'm honest with you until a few days ago they were nothing more than fantasy creatures to scare children."
Elsa remembered hearing stories about dragons as a child. Her father spent a season telling her stories of dragons and hunters living at the end of the world, under the waterfall of life and death. The young queen spent months fascinated with the idea of seeing some creature like that fly someday and take her to the waterfall of life and death, as the protagonists of her father's stories did. However, Anna didn't share her enthusiasm and usually used to cry on nights when her father talked about dragons. Elsa tried to make Anna share her fantasy illusion for these beings of legend, once creating huge and beautiful snow dragons that danced around the room where they used to play. However, Anna didn't share her dream, on the contrary, she was so scared that she wet the bed that night. Since then Elsa had not brought up the subject of dragons again, since her father strictly prohibited her from talking about those creatures in Anna's presence, so as not to continue scaring the girl, who had been repeating for years that a dragon would come to her window and eat her.
"They're an almost extinct species," Hiccup explained. "Actually, until now my dragon was the only night fury that we had found."
"Then your black dragon is a night fury, correct?"
"Right."
"And are they very dangerous?"
"Dragons are not dangerous," Hiccup complained. "Not all."
"They almost destroyed my entire kingdom," the queen countered. "Something dangerous must have… Right!"
Hiccup was going to complain when Elsa pushed him against one of the columns. The queen's abruptness made him hit his head lightly against the marble, but he didn't have time to complain before the queen covered his mouth with her hand. They stood like that for a few brief seconds as the calm footsteps of a guard slowly faded down the long hallway. Hiccup would have liked to appear normal, but the truth is that the girl's reaction had taken him by surprise and he could not prevent his heart from racing, not only because of the shock, but also because of his closeness to her. The truth is, he was somewhat intimidated by the Snow Queen.
"It is incredible that I have to hide from my guards in my own castle," the queen complained under her breath, removing her hand from the Viking's mouth. "Sorry," she apologized, pulling away from him and embarrassed by her own reaction.
"Nothing happened," he hastened to reply. "Can I at least ask why we're hiding?"
"Well… because I was supposed to be being examined for my honor right now."
That made Hiccup blush and decided not to ask any more about it.
"This way," Elsa indicated.
Hiccup followed her into a poorly placed armor behind which was hidden a small corridor that led to a narrow and dimly lit spiral staircase. That seemed without a doubt one of those stories that his father told him as a child. They walked in the dark in silence, until Hiccup decided to resume their conservation.
"You look very agile this morning," he pointed out when he saw her go up the stairs quite lightly, unlike him, since the prosthesis was not very stable on those occasions and he had to hold onto the wall. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much better, thank you," the queen replied.
Again, the strange silence prevailed, mixed with the metallic noise of Hiccup's prosthesis hitting the ground and the crunch of Elsa's ice cane.
"So," Elsa summed up, taking a deep breath, "you were coming here when you discovered a dragon…
"A night fury," he corrected.
"A night fury," she went on, "and do you think this is related to the rider who attacked us?"
"Drago isn't just any rider," the Viking explained. "He is a cruel and vengeful man, but above all cunning."
"Do you think he killed that dragon?"
"I'm practically certain, there were symbols of witchcraft everywhere and its heart had been ripped from its chest, but I still don't understand why…"
Elsa stopped dead, making Hiccup almost trip over her.
"Signs of witchcraft?" she asked with concern. "How far into the forest were you?"
"I don't know your forests, but about a two-hour flight…" He paused to calculate. "About four days on the road."
"The forbidden forest…" Elsa whispered.
"The Forbidden Forest?" Hiccup asked. "Okay, it's my question time. What is the forbidden forest?"
"The forbidden forest extends beyond the limits of the kingdom," she explained, continuing her pace, but lowering her voice. "Our forests have never been completely safe, they are inhabited not only by bears or wild wolves but also by magical creatures."
"Magical creatures?" Hiccup asked strangely.
"That's a long story I'll tell you later," Elsa asked. "The fact is that beyond this forest there is a forest covered in mist where the magic is very strong, but from which no one has ever returned. We call it the enchanted forest."
That made Hiccup's hair stand on end.
"Well… I'm back," he deduced.
"You have only seen its surroundings," the queen explained, "but that place is cursed and riddled with black magic."
"Do you know anything about black magic?" Hiccup asked.
Just the thought of her made all of the queen's hair stand on end. She had never seen black magic, but she had heard trolls speak of beings who practiced it and of the horrible aftermath that came with it.
"No, black magic is very dangerous," Elsa determined harshly. "Could you remember the symbols you saw?"
"I could try drawing them," Hiccup replied. "So… if your powers aren't witchcraft, where do they come from?"
"I don't know," she replied quickly. "This way."
Elsa and Hiccup emerged from that tunnel of darkness, arriving at one of the central corridors. Luckily the wing where the council room was located was very isolated and there was nobody in the hallways.
"Do you know why Drago attacked you?"
"I don't know what that man had in mind… we are a humble kingdom…" she explained. "In fact, we thought dragons were a legend, mere tales."
"Is it true that the dragon that attacked you was immortal?"
Elsa gulped, slowing her pace. The Viking was grateful for the gesture, since he stopped following her behind him, being able to finally stand beside him. The queen looked down.
"I went through it myself," she recalled. "I saw… I saw how… I saw it…" It was difficult for her to speak, agitated. "I killed it, I'm sure of it… and moments later… it… recovered… just like that," she explained with a knot in her stomach. "I still don't understand how everything happened, but I perfectly remember the laugh of that man on the back of the animal as he burned my people alive, he was the devil himself."
Something changed in Elsa's gaze as those words came fearfully from her lips. Hiccup no doubt could feel it when the queen fixed her blue gaze on him. He seemed like a different person than the one he had met so far. There was a different glow to it, a kind of determination the Viking knew well.
"I'm so sorry…" he replied, almost stopping.
"How do you control them?" she asked to the boy's surprise.
"Dragons? Well, I don't exactly control them."
"And then what do you do to make them obey you? How is a dragon controlled?"
"It's not that easy to explain… it's like a link… or at least that's how I understand it," he replied. "What do you think Drago was looking for in Arendelle?"
Hiccup tried to make himself clear, since the door of the meeting room loomed at the end of the corridor and he knew that they had to enter with things clear.
"I have already told you that we are a modest kingdom, apart from my powers I don't know what else he could want."
"If Drago is playing with black magic, he may want to find a way to obtain your magic," he pointed out. "You're sure that you don't know the source of your powers? Do you think it could be here or in that forest?"
"Even if I knew it, could I trust you?"
That answer caught Hiccup by surprise.
"My council believes that you may be working with Drago to get hold of Arendelle and my powers," she explained with some suspicion. "So the obsession with a bond of loyalty, a wedding, as if you could not betray us that way. Can I really trust you Haddock?"
"Are you seriously asking me this?"
This time, Hiccup stopped dead, causing Elsa to turn.
"Oh my God," the Viking complained. "Ever since I arrived here I have been locked up against my will, not to mention that you have separated me from my dragon and forced me to marry you. You were the ones who asked us for help! How do I know that you're not working with Drago to capture me? Anyone you ask knows that Drago is longing to see me dead."
Elsa seemed to meditate for a second, looking away from the boy. Deep down, no matter how scared she might feel, something told her she could trust the Viking. After all, ever since they had buried the hatchet the night before, he had been kind enough. However, Elsa didn't have the best example as a reference, since Anna thought the same about Hans.
"Sorry," she said suddenly. "I would not want to make the same mistakes again, but understand that I have not gotten to where I am by blindly trusting people. Unfortunately I have known treason… Also, it is strange that only one returned from the ship that came looking for you."
Hiccup passed his hands behind his neck thoughtfully.
"If the problem is mine…" he murmured to himself, who really used to trust people with hardly any explanation. "Look, I don't want to go into that room without making things clear between us."
Elsa looked at him blankly.
"I came here because you have asked us for help. I am sorry that your ship was shipwrecked and that we could only save Finn's life, but if I am honest I do not know how you found us or why you knew of our existence when you just confessed to me that you had never heard of dragons." He looked her in the eyes to make it clear that he had reservations about the situation. "I've also got my reasons to be suspicious, but all I know for sure is that if Drago really does have an army of immortal dragons, we had better join forces to defeat him before it's too late. And if the dragon that I found in the forest is a clue to stop all this, I plan to go to the end with or without your help, because what is certain is that neither your people nor mine are safe. All I'm asking is that you at least trust me."
Elsa hesitated a moment.
"And if not…" the Viking continued after making sure the Queen had nothing more to say, "we will take our dragons and leave this very night. Our marriage is not valid anyway, so we don't owe each other anything."
Elsa sighed.
"You are right…" she said at last.
"It is enough that you trust me and we agree."
"And what do you propose?"
Hiccup thought for a moment. Elsa had crossed her arms and was biting her lip uncertainly. She really could be in better shape than the night before, but still Hiccup knew that Elsa still needed rest. The black grooves under his blue eyes gave her away.
"We can start by calling each other by our names," said the Viking, trying to tackle the matter in a conciliatory manner.
This seemed to relax the queen, who changed her expression and caught a slight smile.
"Excuse me, it's the custom," she agreed, "Hiccup."
It was strange to hear his own name so forcefully on Elsa's lips, but he appreciated the gesture on her part.
"So… shall we start again?"
Hiccup stretched out his hand as a pact, something that surprised the queen. However, Elsa accepted the gesture and shook Hiccup's hand. It was a pleasant and close contact, something that surprised her.
At Arendelle they were not in the habit of closing pacts in that way, not only because everything was decreed under written oaths, signed and witnessed by the legislator, but also because Elsa seemed to hate human contact. Even now that she had control over her powers she still feared that she might endanger people in her presence.
Since her second official coronation, Elsa may have opened the doors of her castle, but she had continued to keep locked certain fears and concerns that she shared with no one. Not even with Anna. And between them was that, something as simple as shaking hands.
"I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III," Hiccup began a kind of oath, taking his free hand to his chest, "swear my loyalty and that of all my people and our dragons to you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, to defeat any evil let it fall on your people."
The Viking's voice and gaze were firm in that oath, despite the modesty of the ways in which it was carried out.
"I swear to defend your blood with my blood and if I fail to fulfill my promise that the father of all gods will assign me to Helheim himself."
Elsa didn't understand the Viking reference, but by her conviction she perceived that he was totally serious. In fact, for a moment she was tempted to look away, as no one had ever looked at her that way, least of all with eyes as green and flaming as Hiccup's.
"I, Elsa de Arendelle," she went on, by the custom in the oaths, "promise to swear loyalty to you and your people, Hiccup Horren…" she stumbled.
Hiccup didn't hesitate to help her, this time erasing all seriousness and drawing a crooked smile.
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III," he helped her. "A terrible name to scare away trolls, I know it sounds horrible."
Elsa tried to remain serious, but could not hear the latter.
"To scare away the trolls?" She couldn't help letting go, curious.
"Sure," the boy replied, "trolls take children with prince's names."
Elsa couldn't help but grimace between strangeness and mischief.
"Well… the trolls that I know are charming, they would never take children…"
As soon as she said that, she could not help thinking of Kristoff and that he really was a child who had been somehow 'taken' by the trolls.
"Wait a minute," Hiccup cut in wonder. "Trolls really exist?"
"Majesty!" a voice suddenly called out.
They both jumped, immediately turning their heads towards the voice emanating from Lieutenant Riell's figure, standing at the door of the council room.
"We are waiting for you," he declared without losing his composure.
"Come on," Elsa replied quickly.
The lieutenant nodded with the usual mimicry of their movements, entering the room and leaving them a few seconds of courtesy in the hallway.
"Gods, what a scare…" Hiccup said honestly. "Is it normal for me to feel constant fear of your guards or…?"
"Only until today," Elsa declared. "The rest of your time here I promise you will be trusted."
"I hope so…"
Hiccup was certainly not off to a good start in that kingdom.
"By the way…" Elsa said, turning to bite her lip, "will you give me back my hand?"
Hiccup was startled to realize that he was still holding hands with the queen. He released her immediately, feeling a little idiotic.
"Sorry…" He cleared his throat to recover his nerve. "Come on, they have to be waiting for us… no more mistrust?" He pursed his lips in a knowing smile.
"No more mistrust," she assured him, returning it to him.
As soon as they entered the room, everyone fell silent, watching them. Stoick himself stood up to greet his son, who looked away from him. The rest of the council did the same, out of respect for the couple, which somehow unified territories and made everyone in that room feel closer to each other.
However, there was still some suspicion, as Arendelle's council felt that she had a certain moral superiority over the Vikings. This was palpable in the environment, especially since Vikings and villagers had sat apart from each other. Anna presided over the table, where she seemed to have been writing requests and complaints from the entire group until Hiccup and Elsa made an appearance. Elsa sat next to her sister and Hiccup sat at the other end of the table with his father, who still didn't speak to him.
At first it was hard to establish an order of priorities, since both kingdoms had very different ways of proceeding, in addition to the fact that most of those present had a terrible hangover from the night before. The first decision that was approved on the table was the distribution of the goods and belongings that the Vikings had brought. They would ration the food and distribute it to all the inhabitants of Arendelle, as well as the blankets and the rest of the objects. The next thing that was decreed was to move the Vikings to a separate room, since the previous two nights had been spent mixed between peasants and the sick and the truth is that they had not understood each other too well. After all, they were her guests, so Elsa agreed to give them a large and modest room where they could be more comfortable.
Another issue that was quickly put on the table was the power that had just been conferred on Hiccup after the wedding. At first the Vikings didn't understand what the villagers were referring to until they finally understood that in the eyes of the God of those people Hiccup was the new king as Elsa had married him. However, the villagers wanted Hiccup to reject that place by divine right and settle as the queen's consort king. The Vikings thought that was not fair, but Hiccup didn't hesitate to accept and reject any responsibility that placed him in power of that kingdom. Deep down he just wished that nightmare would end.
Of course the Vikings objected, finally coming to their senses not because of Hiccup's act of humility, but thanks to Elsa's increased dowry.
As the Vikings had been explained at the first meeting, Arendelle had lost almost all her riches in the fire and the queen had little to offer beyond that everlasting covenant. However, it had occurred to the council that perhaps a portion of their land would be sufficient in addition to the money they would recover when all this happened and they returned to their lives as merchants. Also, due to the union of Hiccup and Elsa, technically they were not giving the lands to the Vikings, in fact, it was less than the usual dowry that they had given to any other king. But the Vikings couldn't know it, at least not at the time.
To Hiccup all this seemed nonsense. However, everyone seemed to agree, except for his father, who didn't open his mouth for practically the entire meeting.
Anna also remained silent during all that paraphernalia. She wasn't in favor of handing over her kingdom to unknown hands in this way. However, if this could give them peace and security, she would not be the one to prevent it.
The only time the Vikings leader raised his voice was to let Arendelle and her queen's council know that more of their own would come, as he himself had asked for the reinforcement of the riders once they heard news about Drago and the peoples of the archipelago. This news made Hiccup jump in his heart, since that meant meeting Astrid and explaining everything that was happening. However, no one other than himself seemed to notice his nervousness.
After hours of verbal struggle that became eternal, they were going to close the session when Hiccup brought up the topic that everyone seemed to be avoiding.
"What's going to happen to our dragons?" he asked. "They can't remain locked up."
Of course this again caused great dissatisfaction in the council. The Vikings were eager to free their dragons, but this idea was undoubtedly troubling the villagers of Arendelle.
Hiccup shot a pleading look at Elsa from across the table and she couldn't help but return a confused look. She had promised him that she would trust him and deep down she felt it was the right thing to do, but her own fear paralyzed her. For a moment she remembered the alert gaze of Hiccup's dragon that morning. Those wild green eyes, devoid of any humanity, closer to those of a monster than to those of a being with a soul… She was sure that if it hadn't been for the cage, he would have pounced on her to devour her, as in the worst of her nightmares…
Then she couldn't help but remember how the dragon had also licked Hiccup's burned hands, pleading with him not to leave him alone. Elsa felt guilty and although she knew that all this would take its toll on her later, she was going to start listening to his advice.
"They will be released," she sentenced to everyone's surprise.
Anna was the first to open her eyes wide, unable to believe her sister's words, since in the previous meeting she expressed her clear and concise refusal.
"But your majesty," complained the legislator, who despite Elsa's threat had returned to the council.
The legislator had put Elsa in a very delicate situation in the previous meeting, but nevertheless, his position as a lawyer was not something that they could easily replace and at the man's almost pitiful insistence, Anna had given his permission to attend the council, so long as he didn't put his nose in where they didn't want him.
"You can't do that," Colonel Roston put in. "That would be putting Arendelle's safety at risk."
"We have the dragonmaster," Elsa countered, indicating Hiccup. "I think he will be able to control the situation."
"But your majesty… perhaps it is better to think it over carefully…" suggested the colonel, almost in supplication.
Elsa knew that her men were also partly right, since she herself had her doubts.
"I promise to take responsibility for the dragons," said Hiccup solemnly, rising to his feet.
"Your Majesty, please…"
Elsa contained a sigh.
"I'll… think about it," she said hesitantly. "We'll think about it," she corrected herself, looking at Hiccup for an endorsement.
If Hiccup was known for something, it was because he was a stubborn man, but this was not the time to challenge Elsa, especially when her own people were questioning her. So he swallowed his pride and nodded, thus settling the issue for the moment.
In this way the meeting was adjourned and everyone left the room between reluctant words and complaints of headaches. Most of those present returned to their beds again, with many not waking up until the next morning.
However, everyone knew that much remained to be done. People had to be organized and prepared in case the worst was approaching. One of the Vikings' proposals had been to train the population for combat, something that the entire council of Arendelle opposed. Civilians would not fight and would remain so until now. However, Colonel Roston knew that he needed to recruit more youth and that this could not wait.
"My queen," he interceded to Elsa before leaving. "If you will allow me, starting today I will start recruiting and training the troops."
"You have my support," she said consistently.
At that moment, Gobber could not help but interfere in the conversation.
"Your Highness," he began. "Excuse me if I go where they don't call me, but if I could help I would like to give the colonel a hand." He raised his hook to reinforce his request. "I have experience at teaching fighting arts to the kids."
Elsa hesitated for a first moment. Undoubtedly a man who was missing a hand and a foot was either a very seasoned warrior or a very bad one. However, this man had been kind and generous to her, keeping his secret when the previous meeting saw her bleeding from the nose, at the limit of his strength.
"Okay," she agreed. "From now on you will work alongside Colonel Roston; he will explain everything to you. Agreed?"
The colonel swallowed hard. He didn't seem to like the idea of working closely with the Viking very much, but he didn't dare to antagonize his queen.
Hiccup watched the entire scene from across the room. Fjord villagers and Vikings working together… that would certainly not end well. He took a breath and released it slightly, as he watched the colonel manage to squeeze Gobber's hand while he made him try to give him the hook. Elsa couldn't help but laugh and the Viking followed suit.
Perhaps the queen was not a frigid witch after all, as the Viking thought.
"Hiccup, son," his father's voice surprised him. "I would like to speak to you for a moment."
"Well, I don't want to talk to you, Dad," the Viking countered sharply, ready to leave.
"Hiccup please wait."
Hiccup took a breath and turned to his father, holding back his rage.
"What do you want," he said.
"You know we can't be like this."
"Like what?"
Hiccup knew perfectly well what his father was referring to. The Viking looked older and tired, more than usual.
"Not talking to each other," he explained. "Now more than ever we must be united, these people need us."
Hiccup looked down, feeling guilty for his selfishness. Chatting with his father always ended up having that effect on him. And the worst part is that this time he really believed he had enough reasons not to speak to him, but the heavy load on his shoulders hit him like a jug of cold water. He would never become the leader his father wanted him to be.
"What do you want me to do?" He replied resignedly.
"Just talk to me," Stoick said, not daring to delve further. "What do you think we should do?"
"I don't know dad…"
Stoick looked at his son and recognized in him a deep sorrow. He himself had opposed the advice to marry him off, but everything had been useless, having to make the Vikings see reason when they thought about the possibility of taking control over that fishing town. Not only was Stoick totally against this kind of practice, but he had personally met the former sovereign of those lands and had a kind of mourning respect for him. Besides, for him those lands were cursed and the fact that they had a queen with magical powers only fueled his certainty. As much as Hiccup might think otherwise, Stoick was more concerned about the marriage to the Ice Queen in case the Queen might endanger his son's life.
"I think we should try to reassure people," Hiccup said, pulling his father out of his thoughts. "The best thing is that we rebuild everything we can, create defensive lines and help these people learn to defend themselves, as we did in Berk years ago…"
"And what about dragons?" Stoick asked, knowing that Hiccup was wondering the same thing.
"As long as it's in my hand, they won't stay in the dungeons," he said in a bitter tone. "I will make Elsa see reason."
Stoick was silent for a moment, as he looked at his son. When had he grown so old?
"Everything okay with her?" he asked hesitantly.
At first Hiccup didn't understand what his father was referring to, until he remembered that he was supposed to have married Elsa.
"By the gods, Dad, I'm not going to have this conversation with you," he said, upset.
Stoick looked away from his son, but could not get his mind off his current thoughts.
"The women say they heard her scream last night," he said seriously. "I am not the one to tell you how you should treat your wife, because I think I have educated you well, but…"
Hiccup's body broke when he heard those words coming from his father.
"How?" He asked incredulously, looking around to check with relief that everyone had already left the room, Elsa included.
"I understand that you have been very hasty and that we have forced you against your will," his father began. "But still…"
Hiccup cut off his father.
"I can't believe it," he spat. "This is the last straw… Dad, it's over. Do not follow me. I can't believe you even thought that."
"Son…" Stoick tried to express himself.
However, Hiccup was no longer listening to him since he left the door enraged. Stoick sighed, feeling more tired than ever.
"What do you mean Elsa has agreed to release the dragons?" Kristoff incredulously asked Anna.
"Well, technically she hasn't said yes yet, but she hasn't said no either…"
Kristoff was thoughtful, twisting his face.
After the council meeting, Elsa had returned to her rooms, since Miranda had asked her to rest even though she thought she was feeling well. Of course she, as always, kept pretending that everything was fine until the blood began to flow from her nose and the medicine woman sent her directly to the room after forcing her to drink all the contents of a strange concoction that she had prepared from ginger and radish roots.
Anna also needed to rest, since she hadn't slept all night because of nerves at the uncertainty of whether Elsa would be alright. Miranda herself had prepared an infusion for her to relax, but Anna was always a hyperactive person and when her nerves surfaced not even the most powerful sleeping draught could put her to sleep. That night Kristoff entered her room under the supervision of some maids, with the excuse that the princess needed him to discuss a matter regarding magic and trolls. The reality was that Anna wanted and needed to be alone with Kristoff just for the sake of feeling someone's warmth next to her amid all that chaos of despair.
For months he had already noticed how some servants followed them when they were both alone in the corridors of the castle or how a guard appeared whenever they were alone in the gardens of the north wing. Anna knew that this was not a matter for Elsa, who was a very introverted person and that the last thing she wanted was to meddle in her sister's private life and her relationship with Kristoff. On the contrary, Elsa seemed glad to see them in each other's company, as if in this way she could compensate for the self-imposed loneliness of her sister through years of confinement.
No. It was definitely not Elsa.
Anna knew that this obsession to defend her 'maidenhood' was the work of the legislator and Colonel Roston, who after the death of her parents seemed to have wanted to take on a fatherly and superprotective roll that Anna could not bear. Elsa for her part seemed not to notice what was happening behind her back, but she couldn't blame her either. The queen had always had her own ghosts chasing her.
The thing is, the situation was beginning to overwhelm Anna, who really wished she could lie in bed and hug Kristoff, the two of them alone and able to rest for at least a couple of hours. However, it seemed increasingly impossible to share a moment alone with the boy.
"And where do you plan to put them?" The ice vendor continued to ask.
"I don't know… obviously they can't be in the castle, people would be terrified and there's not much more room…
"Do you think…" the boy began to deduce, "that Elsa could…?"
Anna read her mind immediately.
"Open the dome?" She answered for him.
That idea had been around her head for over a week. She had seen her sister rave with fever until she fainted and she felt, without fear of being wrong, that this was related to that magic dome. Elsa was undoubtedly a strong woman and her power grew more and more within her. For this reason Anna still didn't explain how her sister was not able to notice improvements in her wounds. Admittedly, she had been seriously injured, especially the blow to the head and the bruise on her ribs — which still made her lose air as she stood up. However, Anna was certain that this dome was the main reason why her sister didn't improve.
"I know that it's very risky…" she began.
"But you also think she's considering it, right?"
Anna nodded, grateful that Kristoff had done the same analysis as her.
"Maybe it's not such a bad idea…
"What's not such a bad idea?" said a voice coming through the door.
At that moment the darkness of that small and dry room was broken with the entrance of Miranda and a few other women, who were carrying some herbs and jars in their hands. The couple's moment of solitude was over.
Kristoff shot Anna a knowing look: 'I told you it wasn't a good idea to use the pantry,' Anna read in his eyes, who could only agree with a disgusted grimace.
"Well?" asked the healer as she took some mint from one of the sprigs of dried plants that had been hanging from the cupboard.
"That…" Anna began, not quite knowing what excuse to make up.
"That she should have a drink and rest, too," Kristoff finished hurriedly. "Anna has barely slept and although she is very stubborn I have told her that it would not be a bad idea for her to go to rest like Elsa, in fact, we were here looking for those herbs that you gave her last night… the…"
"Night flower?" The healer finished with a tired smile.
Miranda was an intelligent woman and of course she knew that those two had not stopped there to find an infusion to sleep. Likewise, and as she used to do, she said nothing.
"Here," she held out the herbs they were supposed to be looking for. "I will ask them to prepare hot water for you."
Anna nodded and with a gesture Miranda sent one of the girls out of the pantry.
"Don't wear too much," she explained. "The abuse of this plant ironically generates insomnia."
"Thanks Miranda."
The healer bowed slightly, smiling wearily at Anna.
The truth is that she also looked exhausted. Without a doubt, she had not only gone out of her way for Elsa's health, but for that of most of the wounded who flooded the rooms of that castle. Anna didn't even dare to visit the most serious since the first night that she helped locate everyone in the castle, she ended up throwing up after seeing the state of some of the wounded.
She and her sister had been raised in a beautiful palace welcomed by the beauty of solitude and calm. Neither of them knew what the misery or horror of war was, they didn't know what death sounded like or the smell of burned meat. For that reason, this situation overwhelmed Anna and more when she had barely had the support of her sister, who shortly after waking up had been married to a stranger.
"You're welcome honey," she said warmly. "By the way, Kristoff, can you spare us a moment alone?"
The boy nodded, taking one last look at his girlfriend.
Miranda also dispatched the rest of the women, leaving them alone in that little room that smelled of spices and vinegar.
"Anna, I wanted to ask you something the council asked me for."
"Yes sure, tell me."
Miranda sighed, lowering her voice as when women of yesteryear go on to talk about the secrets of femininity.
"The women have told me that you and Elsa left before they examined your sister's honor, and well, I myself refused to have it reviewed because the poor thing already has enough going on," she explained. "But the council asked me about the validity of the marriage and I have to give them an answer. You are supposed to help her wash. All good?"
Anna was nervous, but tried to hide it. Honestly she was not very clear, since her sister had refused to bathe and had told her that Hiccup and she had not slept together. But did that mean a refusal? The women themselves had told Anna that they had heard her sister scream. Perhaps Elsa had not spoken about it because she was ashamed and deep down she didn't blame her.
"Yes, all right," she lied. "I helped her and I can vouch for…" she decided to improvise. "Her validity."
Miranda scrutinized her carefully, as if she could read on her face whether or not she was telling the truth. Whatever she saw, she never told her.
"Okay, thanks," she said. "Just go and rest."
When Hiccup went out to look for Elsa after the council meeting he didn't find her.
He spent a while searching, but when he saw that there was no way to find her and that his father would be with the rest of the Vikings, he opted for a solo tour to browse the castle.
The truth was that somehow it was the first time in two days that he had the freedom to move around that palace, beyond that morning in the dungeons. However, that vague feeling of freedom faded quickly every time he looked back and noticed how some guards in the distance followed him. Clearly Arendelle's advice still didn't fully trust him or the rest of the Vikings. However, he didn't care. The idea of browsing was more than juicy.
He walked through the main corridors that led to the central hall and from there to the great halls that had become camps for the inhabitants of that kingdom. That luxury of the huge windows and the hanging lamps was so far away that he never ceased to be amazed by even the smallest details of that castle, from the door knobs to the braided finish of the curtains that fell from the ceiling. However, his vision of the palace changed dramatically when he entered one of these rooms. Hiccup scanned that place with the gaze of a stranger who is in the middle of a cataclysm. It was not the first time that he or the riders had come across towns devastated by war, pirates or trappers, but this had a different nuance. Hiccup had never seen so many wounded civilians.
He was still in his white wedding clothes, which he still hadn't been able to change since he didn't know where his things had gone and he didn't plan to ask his father. As a result, as soon as he entered the room he was quickly the target of all eyes. Without a doubt, it must have attracted quite a lot of attention for these people, not only because of the clothing, but above all because of his frizzy hair full of braids and his prosthetics.
"Excuse me sir… Your Majesty."
A young woman dressed in a humble blue dress with an apron filled with dried blood stepped forward to stop her attempt to pass, ducking her head in respect as she spoke to him.
"Ma… majesty," she repeated shyly. "This place is not a place for someone like you."
Hiccup was still unaccustomed to being called 'majesty' by the people of that place when he was not even called to be chief in his own land.
"Don't worry," he said respectfully. "Believe me, I've been in worse places… can I help you with something?"
The woman blanched, going into a kind of shock. She tried to say something, but she looked quite nervous.
"Let him in," said a voice that sounded familiar.
Behind this woman appeared another, much more robust and busty, with a broad back and shoulders and two large blond braids. Hiccup didn't think to find Alea there.
"Alea? What are you doing here?"
Berk's sailing captain was still dressed in her Viking clothing, but she wore, like the rest of the women, a white apron, hers somewhat cleaner than the first woman's.
"Those assholes from Arendelle's council won't let me do anything," she said bluntly, as she often did. "I've been told to come here to help the women… you'll see when Astrid arrives and finds out."
Mentioning his girlfriend made Hiccup shudder. Of course Astrid would be furious if they started to take her away from her usual tasks in the art of combat because she was a woman and she was destined to care for the sick. That was after she killed him first when she found out about his wedding, of course.
"Well… sorry," the woman said then, changing to a sweeter tone. "About your wedding, I mean."
"Nothing happened Alea, thanks for caring."
The boy lowered his head and the woman imitated him, feeling that she had messed with Hiccup.
"Well," she said, trying to change the subject, indicating the young woman who had just asked Hiccup to leave the room. "this is Rose; she might be young, but she's in charge of organizing this room."
Hiccup looked back at the girl, who was still crestfallen with shame. Her brown hair was tied back in an elegant bun, although a few strands came out messy and fell down her olive skin, which looked sick from lack of sleep and began to draw dark furrows under her black eyes.
"I'm Hiccup, delighted to meet you, Rose," Hiccup expressed trying to be nice, as he reached out his hand to the girl.
The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, but before Hiccup's warm gaze she decided to accept his hand.
"I am Rose, delighted," she said in a melodious voice. "It is an honor to meet you."
"The honor is mine," he said. "Can I help you with something?"
"The truth is that we could use a little help," Alea said, running a hand over her forehead.
The human warmth added to the crowd was at least stifling in that room with its large windows, high ceilings, and heartbroken screams. Also, there was something in the environment that made it impossible not to feel chills in that constant feeling of suffocation: the smell of burned meat and death.
"You did some sewing work, didn't you, Hiccup?"
The boy nodded. He had been sewing leather for Gobber since he could remember.
"Great, because there are many wounded and we don't have clubs. The women are exhausted and with this unbearable heat there is no one to focus."
Despite the collective amazement of the healers and the rest of the patients, Hiccup spent all day in that room sewing and cleaning wounds of the sick. Not that he was particularly good at healing infected wounds and alleviating fevers, but he was nice to people and masterfully handled the needle. The women didn't give credit. They didn't understand how the supposed dragon master, heir to his land and new king of Arendelle was there next to them, still in his wedding clothes, attending to people he didn't even know.
At first it was more than evident that nobody could take his eye off him, especially since most of the girls of marriageable age thought that Hiccup was very attractive. More than one came close to showing that interest, only to be warned off by some of the older women, warning that any fantasy with that Viking would only bring them misfortunes. They of course bowed their heads and obeyed, taking every opportunity to keep looking out of the corner of their eyes at the slim, broad-shouldered boy who exuded that wild look.
Despite the division of opinions among the healers, after a few hours Hiccup's presence was losing importance, to the extent that he was just one more hand that helped where needed.
"You should go to rest, young man," said a woman who would be around Alea's age, but missing several teeth. "You've done enough for today and your wife will be looking for you. I don't know what she'd think of you being here."
Obviously, by that she meant Elsa, but Hiccup knew that the queen would not be looking for him. In fact, despite having made peace with her, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable in her presence and wanted to delay the moment of seeing her again. He felt that since he had arrived he was really being useful. He had stitched several wounds, from Dorea, the cook who had almost sliced a finger during his wedding dinner, to Obbe, the village blacksmith who had suffered several burns and bruises when his barn fell on him during the fire.
"I can stay a while longer if necessary," he replied.
The woman twisted her expression, looking with a certain tenderness at the boy. No matter how much he said, he was seen exhausted with the last lights of the sunset.
"Well, help me light the candles before you go," he said with resignation.
Hiccup obeyed, and after helping prepare a bed for a boy not much older than himself, he started lighting a few candles with other women to light that nightmarish place. The truth is that if they had dragons that task would be much easier. He snorted exhausted.
"Are you leaving already?" said a voice behind him.
The Viking turned to discover Rose, the girl Alea had introduced him to.
"Yes, that lady has been insisting for a while."
Rose turned her head in the direction Hiccup had suggested, unable to help but show a smile.
"Thea is very protective of everyone, she is always telling us to go to rest when she is the first to go weeks without leaving here," she explained. "She's a little grumpy at first, but she has a very good heart."
Hiccup also smiled wearily. "I can see that…"
"And by the way," Rose added, lowering her tone, "don't go without dinner, we are delivering hot soup and pumpkin pie. It is the least we can offer for your help.
The Viking's guts roared with hunger and the truth is that he didn't feel like dining with his father and the rest of the Vikings. However, he didn't know if it was the best thing to stay for dinner with these women. As much as he wanted to postpone it, he had to talk to Elsa about releasing the dragons.
"I'd love to, but I think Thea's right and I should go have dinner with the queen."
"Excuse me, then, the audacity…"
Hiccup knew that under that tone there was only good intentions, but he hated that people treated him that way.
"Don't worry about it; I really appreciate the offer, but I'll save it for another day," he smiled gratefully.
Rose nodded, her eyes discreetly bowing and preparing to leave.
"By the way," she said turning to herself, "I forgot…
The girl rummaged in her apron, extracting a tiny jar containing a sort of green concoction.
"It's for burns," she explained.
Hiccup accepted it, understanding that she had noticed his hands.
"Well… thank you very much."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
By the time Hiccup reached the room, night had already fallen throughout the castle, and the light was almost non-existent in the windows. It took him more than he thought to get to the room since the castle was full of corridors and stairs of Siamese architecture. However, and despite the effort, he managed to find the room thanks to the help of his shadows, in the form of the two guards who followed him.
He knocked gently on the door, opening it when he heard Elsa's voice. Upon entering he found the queen in a nightgown, one much more discreet than the night before and away from all that eroticism and sensuality. Nor was her hair loose as it had been the night before, but had been tied back into a perfectly finished low braid. She was undoubtedly a queen.
"Hello," she said in her dry, taciturn tone.
"Hello," Hiccup replied, closing the door behind him, leaving the guards on the other side.
The girl was leaning out the window, closing it carefully as she realized that it was possibly very cold for Hiccup.
"They've brought your things," she explained, pointing to a trunk on the floor.
That gave Hiccup some energy, like a child in Snoggletog, despite how exhausted he was. The Viking approached the trunk and began to remove all its contents. There were his black scale riding outfit, two clean changes, and his usual work outfit. They had also given him his leather pouch where he had his notebooks, his compass and a book on dragon species that he was rewriting with Fishlegs. Elsa watched him as she took out all that jumble of things, not quite understanding what some of them were.
"Is that all?" she asked.
"Yes, I think nothing is missing," Hiccup confirmed. "Thanks for asking to be brought in."
"It wasn't me," the queen confessed. "I think it was the work of your… your father."
Hiccup changed his complacent expression to a much more serious and resigned one. Elsa wasn't an expert in reading human emotions- she freely admitted that she was terrible at it- but Hiccup was an open book and it was clear that since the wedding he hadn't spoken to his father.
"Where have you been?" she asked, to change the subject.
"I've been going around the palace and helping with the wounded."
Elsa nodded, awakening a strange bitter sensation in her belly. She felt guilty that she had not yet mustered the courage and strength to face the task of visiting her people in need herself.
"How are you? I went looking for you at the end of the meeting, but I was unable to find you."
"Miranda sent me to rest," she explained. "She worries too much."
"But are you okay?"
"Yes, I feel much better, thanks." she folded her arms. "Although I don't know if I can fall asleep now."
Hiccup didn't know what to answer, so he just smiled at her, pursing his lips.
"Well, I'm going to prepare my bed," he said, trying to break that awkward silence.
"Oh, of course," said Elsa. "I can help you if you want."
The Viking approached the bed to get one of the blankets and a cushion while Elsa approached to light the fireplace. Not that she had much practice in that task, but she was good at learning new things, so before Hiccup had 'his bed' ready she had already managed to light a more or less decent fire.
Hiccup knelt on his makeshift bed and watched Elsa's work.
"It's okay like that?"
"Yes, great, thanks."
The girl also bent down, looking pleased at her work.
"Great," she said. "Well… if you want to change or something, get comfortable… I can leave the room…"
"Ah… no, no need," Hiccup blushed. "Well, unless it's awkward for you, then… I can go out if you want."
Hiccup had spent years overcoming his shame in the nude and especially about his own body. He had to accept that puberty had treated him really well and added to the hours of flight he could say that he had a fairly toned and slender body. However, at that moment and due to Elsa's own puritanism, he felt a tremendous shame that the girl could see him naked.
"Look, I'm better off," he said. "I don't care and it doesn't take long."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, of course," he said. "Where…?"
"Over there."
Elsa pointed to one of the doors of the room through which she had bathed with her sister that morning. In general, the entire castle was full of small rooms connected to a main room that used to be used as a toilet and for servants to help dress and undress monarchs without having to enter their bedrooms.
"Okay, well now I'm coming back…
Hiccup picked up the clothes he was wearing to sleep, a green cotton shirt and brown tights. The truth is that he had grown used to sleeping naked with Astrid and it was very strange for him to use those clothes that, compared to Elsa's nightgown that was worthy of a queen, looked like the clothes of a peasant who was experiencing a hard time.
It didn't take long for Hiccup to clean up and put on the clothes, finally able to get rid of his wedding outfit. He also looked at his burned hands and used the ointment Rose had left him. He looked in a kind of stained mirror next to a small basin with water and discovered how bad it looked.
The night before, not only had he not been able to sleep thinking about Astrid, but after a while Elsa began to babble in dreams and move spasmodically on the bed. Hiccup couldn't help but get up, checking when he put his hand on his forehead that the girl was burning with fever. He sat next to her for a while, not quite knowing what to do. He had promised not to call anyone, but he began to fear the worst when he saw her scream. Of course he had caught her when he saw her scream, he just didn't know how to calm her down. At first he didn't notice pain when touching it, because the cold burns like a stealth death. He just held her until she calmed down, holding her hands as she spoke in a language the Viking didn't understand. He remembered that Elsa had called her mother in her dreams and Hiccup could not think of anything else but to caress her forehead and sing to her what his father used to sing to him when he had nightmares as a child. Hiccup didn't know how long he was like this, but he went to bed completely frozen and his hands burned from the cold.
Now he was ashamed to even think about it. Especially since the seriousness and bearing of Elsa caused her so much respect. That and he couldn't stop remembering her naked.
"I'm done," he said, entering the room again.
The girl had already got into her bed and was leaning on some cushions while looking out the window. Hiccup imitated her and also got into his makeshift bed, thanking that the ground wasn't as frozen as the night before, although it was just as hard. He adjusted himself as best he could and although he was trying to do so, he didn't remove the prosthesis. He really wasn't very comfortable with the queen there. He collapsed onto the cushions, listening to his own body complain.
In a second it was as if all the weight in the world was bearing down on him and he realized that he had been literally almost three nights without sleep.
"Hiccup…" Elsa called him then.
"Yes?"
"Do you think it will be a good idea to free the dragons?" Her voice dropped. "I am… afraid of how my people might react.
"Don't worry, at first it's always difficult, but then people end up liking them before they even realise it's happening."
"And if it's not that way?"
"I'm sure your people will end up worshiping dragons as much as we do," he said quietly. "They are incredibly noble and intelligent beings."
"Maybe you're right…"
Elsa shifted uneasily on the bed. She had had a fever all day again and the images of her nightmares had continued to haunt her in dreams all afternoon.
"What if they attack someone?"
"Nothing will happen… they will not harm anyone…"
Elsa was thoughtful for a moment. Hiccup seemed to be completely sure of the possibility of coexistence between species but she had her reservations. After all, people were very resentful of dragons, and they shared their terror. However, deep down Elsa herself knew that these people also feared her for not understanding her magical nature, and Elsa didn't pose a danger to Arendelle. At least not all the time.
And then she remembered something that had been bothering her all day.
"Hiccup…" she started almost whispering, unsure how to bring this up without making him feel awkward. "By any chance last night… when I had a fever… did you… touch me?"
Elsa was sure that she had been the cause of the boy's injuries, but Hiccup didn't reply, leaving Elsa to wonder if maybe she had bothered him.
The queen sat up among her cloud of pillows, holding a slight hiss of annoyance at the movement.
And then she found him lying there breathing calmly and slowly. He was fast asleep. She hadn't given him time to change his posture or to cover his feet- or foot- which came out in a disorderly way under the underside of the blanket that was clearly small. It was curious to see how from that vision he seemed just a child, with his almost red hair, his scant incipient beard and the freckles on his face accentuated by the mischievous light of the fireplace.
Elsa could not say how long she was observing him in silence, but she stayed like that for a long time, scrutinizing the oddities of that boy, as if by looking at him she could understand all his secrets. At times she was even ashamed to look at him in case the boy woke up and caught her.
It was then that she cast a glance at his extravagant trunk and discovered that a piece of paper had fallen on the floor next to it. She was tempted to ignore it, but her curiosity overcame her and she ended up making the effort to get up and rescue him from the ground. She took him to bed, where she lay down again with some pain. She had to strain her eyes a bit, especially since the calligraphy was appalling and there were words that she couldn't understand since they were written in Viking slang. However, she could not help but feel her heart shrink as she read the last sentence, the only one that was perfectly understood:
'I love you, Astrid.'